Lawmakers Press Holder on AP Phone Records

WASHINGTON--Members of Congress expressed concern Wednesday about the Justice Department's subpoena of Associated Press phone records at a hearing where Attorney General Eric Holder faced questions over his record.

The House Judiciary Committee was hearing testimony from Mr. Holder amid multiple controversies involving the department, including the AP issue and the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups.

The committee's chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.), said any abridgement of freedom of the press was "very concerning." The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, generally praised Mr. Holder's record but also said he was troubled the government sought such a broad array of phone records from AP. The department took calling records of some 20 phone numbers used by AP journalists, including personal numbers.

"I was not the person involved in that decision," said Mr. Holder, reiterating that he was recused from the case. "I am not familiar with the reasons" that the subpoena was written so broadly, he said. He said Deputy Attorney General James Cole was the person who authorized the subpoena.

Mr. Goodlatte said the Justice Department handling of the matter "appears to be contrary to the law and standard procedure."

The AP subpoenas were connected to a probe by Ronald Machen, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, into a leak concerning a 2012 counterterrorism operation in Yemen. Mr. Holder said that he recused himself because he was interviewed by investigators over the leak and was a "fact witness" in the case.

At a news conference Tuesday, Mr. Holder said the leak justified a vigorous probe because "it put the American people at risk, and that is not hyperbole."

On the IRS issue, Mr. Goodlatte said the agency's actions were "outrageous" and called for "answers and accountability."

Write to Brent Kendall at [e-mail] and Peter Landers at [e-mail]

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